FOR those who hesitate to take up gardening because you think you don't have a green thumb or are about to throw in the trowel because your plants keep dying, take heart.

Unless you insist on growing exotic specimens, most commonly available houseplants are remarkably resilient, intelligent even.

And some are clairvoyant. Late last year, I moved to a smaller - make that a much smaller - unit.

As the balcony (yes, I had to have one) is also much smaller, it was clear that some of the plants, which used to occupy two large balconies, would have to go.

First up for the chop were flowering plants such as dendrobium orchids, which I had grown from keikis (baby plants cut from a mother plant), and several pots of adenium obesum, all of which require lots of sunlight.

The decision was made easier by the fact that these plants flowered only occasionally - a result, I hasten to add, of my constantly forgetting to fertilise them, rather than any reluctance on their part to bloom.

So, while I busied myself with packing, I conveniently neglected to even water them.

Then, about a week before the move, the plants suddenly pushed out flowering spikes and buds in profusion.

It was as if they were making it hard for me to leave them, as well as reproaching me for neglecting them.

Stricken with guilt, and to allow them more time to adjust to the move, I immediately gathered them up and took them to their new home, where they became the first occupants.

Despite a lack of direct sunlight plus howling winds, the orchid responded by pushing out more flowering spikes.

My fears that the strong winds would strip the other plants of their leaves, leaving them botak, also proved unfounded.

It's been two months now and they seem to be growing even faster than before.

At this rate, I might even have to start culling their numbers. Only I can't bear to think of the emotional blackmail the plants are going to subject me to.